What Is Driving Growth in the Specialty Paper Market

The Global Specialty Paper Market is expected to grow by 5.7% from US$31 Billion to US$54 Billion by 2027, according to July’s PaperAge magazine. Driving this growth is more convenient and lighter packaging, tea bags, security labels and sustainability.

Lighter Packaging

Packaging is always about protection and transport, but it is the promoting of the shape, color, texture and even smell that makes thing move off a shelf. Specialty coated papers provide better performance, lower weight, less scope of contamination, increase in shelf life of products and all while enabling seamless transportation handling. In Western Europe they have seen growth in pouches, bags, wrapping and paper based flexible packaging.

Its Tea Time!

Europe being one of the largest consumers of tea has seen an increase driven by “packet tea”. Tea bags have a low market share in the region, but the demand has by taking off due to tea bags made of specialty paper and the fact that specialty paper is biodegradable helps promote the environmental side of this paper. From non-woven materials to lighter filter papers has played a part in this.

Labels Stop Counterfeiting

The world has started to take notice of the ease of certain items can now be counterfeited and more importantly with the Internet sold at a pace that has never been seen before. Working to stop this dead in its tracks are QR code and NFC technology used in labels. By having these codes on merchandise, has provided the ability to make items unique. While providing the consumer with a mobile app on their phone, they can easily scan this code that proves it is not a fake. All this is due to the various specialty papers that been showing up in label’s, a good example of this is Johnnie Walker Scotch with its mobile app and label of authenticity on each bottle.

Sustaining This Growth Going Forward

An example of this is the increase of water-based barrier coatings, as well lightweight and special performance coatings. This is all been due to the constant research and development in the enhancement of specialty papers. Stemming from this work we are now seeing high performance composites, biodegradability and nanomaterials all starting to make their way into the market. We at Cheever have been working with a local mill that is using Nano Cellulose fibers to produce a specialty parchment like paper without having to use the harsh chemical’s that are used to produce parchment paper.

Ultimately it has been the consumer pushing for these changes and we are now listening and making products for these end-user preferences. It is an exciting time for the Specialty Paper Market and we at Cheever can’t wait to embrace this growth and change. Feel free to chat with us what you are seeing in your markets, we would love the feedback.